Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to computers, and more particularly to automated verification of appliance procedures in a computing environment.
Description of the Related Art
In today's society, computer systems are commonplace. Computer systems may be found in the workplace, at home, or at school. These computer system may also be referred to as and/or include computer appliances which are generally a separate and discrete hardware device with integrated software (firmware), specifically designed to provide a specific computing resource. These devices became known as “appliances” because of their similarity to home appliances, which are generally “closed and sealed”—not serviceable by the owner. The hardware and software are pre-integrated and pre-configured before delivery to customer, to provide a “turn-key” solution to a particular problem. Unlike general-purpose computers, appliances are generally not designed to allow the customers to change the software (including the underlying operation system), or to flexibly reconfigure the hardware. By tightly constraining the variations of the hardware and software, the appliance becomes easily deployable, and can be used without nearly as wide (or deep) IT knowledge. However, there is a need for increased efficiency for insuring the hardware and software are properly configured without human intervention.